Getting into PVP - Any beginners tips?

I got Dark Souls not too long ago, and I am LOVING it. After spending a while familiarising myself with the game and what all these freaking numbers mean, I think it is about time I came out of my small enclosure and into the "real world" of PVP. What advice can you guys give me? What changes from PVE? Any and all help is welcome because I am completely new Much appreciated!

_________________"They will remember us. For this. Because out of all our vast array of nightmares, this is the one we choose for ourselves." - Captain John Price

Don't start by going to the forest would be my main advice.Prepare to be backstabbed alot in PVP, you'll get hammered at first but learn from your experiences. Look up youtubes on pvp tips, theres a few good ones going around explaining the mechanics and differences between pvp and pve.Listen to what Calvin Dibs has got to say.

Just start fighting people. And keep fighting people. As you gain experience you'll notice certain things people do, you'll start working out what it is they you can do to win. Basically the best teacher is personal experience, so the more pvp you do the better you'll get.

http://mmdks.com/2inj

Magic Build. The Moonlight Greatsword is one of those weapons that's just all around really good. Damage is good, moveset is good, special attacks are some of the best durability draining specials in the game (things like the DSS lightning bolt or Drake sword shockwave can't compare to the MLGS R2s) Honestly if you practice a bit with the Moonlight being a terror in pvp is easy.

But on a serious note. Like the others said, you should try Mugen Monkey. It will help out a lot by getting your idea in an actual workspace. + Math are hard, and it does it for you. And just like Jansports said, fight, and don't stop fighting. I might be able to help you out if our NAT's stop buggering around. You will eventually find out what weapons you like, what weapons you hate to fight. Which weapons Deadangle, which attacks of your weapons dead angle, how to avoid being backstabbed etc. PhantomEWFG has very good "tuts" and I recommend learning this one first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZeX-RCat8 Because you will most likely be backstabbed 90% of the time in the beginning. And if you learn to do it yourself, you can counter these people, and even learn how to avoid it yourself. I found that if there was a weapon or playstyle I didn't like fighting, if I started using it, I would soon find plenty of ways to counter it. Anyway, you know me, so we can talk about it whenever.

As difficult as the fights may be sometimes, I highly suggest that you start off in the Forest for PvP. The Forest basically teaches you to dodge, play smart, or die. If you can learn from the ways that people can kill you in the Forest, it'd make you much better at PvP.

Look up EWGF Phantom on youtube and watch his videos. Get a good build that is simple to use. Focus on learning basic stuff first: positioning, timing, adjusting for lag, etc. Do not try to emulate people you see on youtube or streams. Find good players and fight them.

As horrible as it is, I suggest going in on a low-leveled character into the forest? Will you kill anyone? Most likely not. Will you be killed in every cheap way imaginable? Yes. The forest is a hub for every form of pvp there is in a desperate attempt of everyone trying to kill everyone else. You will learn from your countless deaths there, and eventually you can learn from honorable fights. You can get a sparring partner on the forum and learn from them. Eventually you will figure out all the tiny bits of pvp that there is and figure out how to kill everyone you see, or at least know how to fight everything you see. I suggest some heavy lurking on the forums PvP section to see peoples strategies and tips. When I was learning, I had no idea what dead-angling was, split-damage, toggle-escaping, bs fishing, or chain-stabbing was. I learned that what I was doing was pretty stupid and adapted. So, in the dark souls spirit......Prepare to Die!

_________________ I don't kill you in the most effective of ways. I kill you in the funniest. "Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know."-Ernest Hemmingway

Invest in a Heater Shield +14 (no real point in taking it to +15). Terrific stability for a small shield, low weight, and pretty much a parrying machine. From my experiences with a low-level PvP build, if you have the courage to go no-shield, a Chaos Falchion +4/+5 is awesome in the left hand. It can parry and it's a nice wake-up for backstab fishers that try to strafe behind you.

_________________PSN ID: IMMA_BIC_BOI_NAO, covert007_opg731

They slaughtered our men, our brothers, our sons... The dead cry out to us for justice. On their Souls, I swear to you: the gankers who took them from us, who have brought us such pain and sorrow... we will find them. They will come to the Forest. We will not rest until their blood flows into this very ground.

If anyone waves and you dont know them KILL them theyre either friendly, a troll, or really good

If your in the forest and someone bows BACKSTAB the KILL them

If you have to retreat in pvp dont show your back they will KILL you

If your in a 2v1 NEVER let one behind you they will KILL you try to keep bothin your sight and if one gets to close and starts backstab fishing turn pivot swing catch them in a stunlock till your stamina is gone then hit em with a wrath to finish the job

If your in a 2v1 and you need to retreat but you in a tight cluster WRATH then flee

If you see someone with the crystal greatsword RUN theyre probaly modded

If you dont like magic spammers learn vow of silence most people dont know its aura and end up being wide open for a backstab

ALWAYS keep healing and stamina recovery consumables hotkeyed

NEVER bow first in the burg if they bow buff your weapon but dont attack till their ready(your call really)

If you invade in the forest with a cracked red eye orb do it atSIFS DOOR. youll appear on his brigde instead of the stairs

If you go against long ranged weapons spears sythes etc use a SHORT QUICK and just charge in with your shield or weapon raised tank a hit if you have the poise then stun them use a light weapon cause they use hardly no stamina use it quick to stun before their next attack

Keep your inventory neat like mine a clean inventory is a safe, happy,and reliable one if your fighting and your current tactics not working CHANGE IT

If a darkmoon invades and starts to buff BACKSTAB them while they buff to even the odds(or dont if your a bad motha)

If in a fight and your oppenent goes to heal take this oppurtunity and YOU HEAL or change to a more suitable weapon if all thats fine PUNISH THAT INSOLENT FOOL

TRY not to taunt your oppenent unless they were jackasses(if they are take your pants of turn away and do a proper bow) but if it was a good fight bow this might help you later a friend request maybe, less a chance of hatemail, and they wont make it their lifes purpose to hunt you down and make you pay.

NEVER EVER EVER EVER lose and send hate mail only a nube who doesnt play darksouls would do this. NUMBER 1 rule of DarkSouls THERE ARE NO RULES and to say otherwise just shows your inexperience.(Unless they were modders its just thereputic to say, "Suck it and die")

Find a fighting style that SUITS YOU and make it evolve.

Stay CALM in a pvp fight you get to exited or scared and your liable to roll of a cliff, leave yourself open and or die by the skin of your teeth, or just get massacred

Also never throw away scrap junk put it in your box and when your in need of something BRING IT TO ME I LOVE TO TRADE

Darkmoons are more likely to be jerks because A) they are often invading to rank up their covenant rather than just for the fun of invading so will do everything they can to win and B) some of them erroneously believe that being guilty means you did something wrong and decide to act like a jerk to you because of it.

Dark moons will most likely have an extremely powerful buff, one of the best spells "Wrath of the Gods", and invade people that are at a lower level then them. They are also usually very minmaxed and will slaughter you outright. Dark wraiths however could be invading for any number of reasons, most likely just for the lols, so even if the darkwraithis ten times better then you they may let you back up and retry killing them. You never knew what to expect from a Dark wraith, but most Dark moons are similar.

Darkwraiths are also pimps, btw.

_________________ I don't kill you in the most effective of ways. I kill you in the funniest. "Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know."-Ernest Hemmingway